It's good to see you. I haven't been in your inbox in a while. Did you miss me? Since I last wrote this newsletter, I spent most of my time on the far side of the Atlantic, reveling in all things European, then a week in San Diego at a baseball tournament with my youngest son. It was quite the trip – more specifics below.
When you step away from your routine, its rhythms and routines, the time away can offer as much quiet or noise as needed or preferred. I reveled in the thunderstorms and lingering rain in Switzerland, something I haven't seen in Northern California since May. I sought out open spaces – in the water and on land – in Crete and the Alp, which offer a particular kind of quiet. I ate and read books (in print!) and hiked and swam. I did NOT read the news. What a balm that was...
Now, I'm back. School started for my two high schoolers a few weeks back. I'm looking at the calendar and see the winter holidays are nearly upon us. I'm knee-deep in sourcing unique and interesting treats for my annual gift guides – Foodie, Boozy, Cookbooks and Sparklers.
And new stories are popping, right on schedule.
Everything is swirling again.
What's Hot: 3-Star Collab, Fun Ferments, Burmese Jam Session & More
Not all together and not all at the same time. These are just a few of the food and food-adjacent events that have caught my attention in September & October.
Minted at Mint Plaza (Fridays, through September 19)
In an L-shaped open-air plaza behind the former U.S. Mint in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, a Friday night jam session is happening right in front of Burma Love's downtown locaiton. The free, all-ages outdoor series features local DJs, performers, and creatives and a special menu of Burmese bites and drinks, like garlic-pepper chicken wings and Burmese samusas.
The fun and eats run 5–9 every Friday, through September 19.
Two three-Michelin star chefs are getting together in Healdsburg for a one night only event. Chefs Kyle Connaughton (Single Thread) and William Bradley (Addison) are cooking in collaboration – no word yet on the menu but it is sure to be epic and feature incredible late summer produce from the Single Thread farm. After you pre-pay for your ticket, you are are invited to visit SingleThread Farm at Dry Creek for a walking tour before or after the meal.
* Due to the special nature of this event, the event cannot accommodate vegetarian, vegan, or no-seafood diets.
$504 per person gets you through the door. Add-ons include an Unforgettable Wine Pairing ($1,500.00), or the Nightly Wine Pairing ($300.00) or Culinary Beverage Pairing (Non-alcoholic) for $150. I still want to go!
An oceanfront dinner hosted at a grand king’s table on the Ritz-Carlton'sOcean Lawn (image above) begins with a sunset performance by the resort’s resident bagpiper, complete with cocktails and tastings from Half Moon Bay Brewing, Jettywave, and Half Moon Bay Distillery.
Chef Javier Arrebola Serrano will craft four courses using ingredients from Pescadero's Brisa Ranch, a focus on the season's exceptional proteins and produce. Wines from Beauregard Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains are part of the experience and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available.
Ever wondered what makes some pickles taste so good and some too salty or sour? Now is your chance to find out. Led by Octavia's Chef de Cuisine Jack Irving, this hands-on experience offers lessons in fundamental techniques and introduces advanced concepts, all while making pickles to take home. Irving will guide participants through the world of microbial transformation so be prepared for a hands-on experience.
$75 includes expert instruction, all ingredients, and a jar to take home and finish the pickling, as well as some house-made snacks and NA drinks. Artisan fermentation jars from local ceramicist Sarah Kersten will be available for purchase.
A family-style dinner series led by Stanly Ranch's Executive Chef Anthony Stagnaro in Carneros focuses on a single, locally sourced ingredient which, for October, are paired with Quintessa wines. Perfect then, that it is held at The Grange, the on-property chef’s garden, a picturesque backdrop for these multi-course experiences. Bring a hat and a sweater because, you know, Carneros.
$250 per person (includes food, wine and service charge)
If you are into cheese and/or into eating local, check out A Taste of Place in the Autumn issue of Edible Marin & Wine Country. I reviewed the cookbook from Toluma Farms and Tomales Farmstead Creamery, calling it "a love letter to the farm and to Marin." Ah, the taste of the place I call home.
A little further up the road, in Sonoma, Chef Craig Stoll and his team are growing piennolos. Read all about their unique character in Piennolo Tomatoes Take Root at Fryer Creek Farm (and head to Pizzeria Delfina to try Napoli's iconic tomato in their pies).
In a three-part series for Marin Magazine on sustainable packaging, I went deep down the rabbit hole of packaging, the waste stream it generates, and compostable alternatives. In Part One, published in February issue, I looked at new wine and spirits bottles.
Published in May, Part Two, A Clamshell By Any Other Name, looks at the surge in takeout container waste and what restaurants and packaging companies are doing to make takeout more sustainable.
I may be the only one who still capitalizes the word – it is an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging, but never mind. I've been running around Switzerland, Crete, Spain, and elsewhere, once again eating all the things. Here are a few restaurants that have recently captured my attention.
In Zurich, one of my favorite any season restaurants, Neumarkt, is hosting Cucina Itameshi, a Japanese-Italian collab from Mochi in Vienna, through the end of 2025. My family likened plates of sourdough with miso butter and karaage with chile mayo to California Cuisine. It was a refreshing change from Swiss cuisine, and tasted even better outside on a brilliant afternoon on Neumarkt's shaded patio in the heart of Zurich.
Fifteen years after we last ate at one of Chef Sebastian Rösch's restaurants (now-closed Mesa, Zurich) Stefan and I ate atLinden Hofkeller. We chose the "6 Gänge," or 6-courses, which included a course known as Brotzeit. It was the biggest and best pretzel, served with a side of fermented butter stamped with an edelweiss. Looking for modern Swiss cuisine with all the fun and funk? This is your place. Each bite was a revelation, a peek at Swiss cuisine today and, hopefully, tomrrow.
Over in Spain, where my son Niki and I spent a week with friends, a highlight was a meal in Girona at Fonda d’el Foment. Starting any meal with white vermouth is a-ok with me and the "ham of duck" salad turned ordinary greens into something special.
In San Sebastian, eating options are legion and I found hard to pick a favorite. Here's just two: I was smitten with pistachio cream coffee at Maiatza (they had gluten-free bread, too!), and all of the pintxos at Bare Bare Jatetxea.
Crete is No Longer for Cretans
For a true taste of the heritage foods of Crete, may I recommend Acacia Tou Aga? Away from the beach, up a small hill, and not far from our rental house in Kontomari, the restaurant is 100% old-school, family-run charm. Sit on the patio and enjoy fava bean spread and boureki, stuffed vegetables and bekri meze (pork in a pot with peppers), feta in phyllo and beef stew with orzo. It was the closest we came to authentic (a loaded word) during our nine days on the island, down to the neighborhood tomcats, yowling as the sun went down.
Last but not least:
Though Palazzo al Mare served my favorite raki (chilled and sweetened with mango slushie) of the week, should you find yourself in Chania, Crete, get thee to Salis. The seafood was fresh, the flavors were complex, and the view of the harbor was exceptional. I did not expect Tuna Belly with burned grape molasses and pickled watermelon or Octopus with lime aioli and sumac from a restaurant smack dab centered in the tourist bustle, but the chef was bringin' it.
Fabulous.
Monthly Cookbook Column - June, July & August
Although my newsletter disappeared for a few months, I reviewed three cookbooks over the summer:
Peter Som's Family Style (big ups for the Mill Valley native!!)
and
Taku Kondo's Coastal Harvest(hint: it's about using whole fish you caught yourself).
Each review is available in full on my website.
Here Come the Holidays
I am deep into sourcing delicious and interesting goodies to be included in my annual holiday gift guides – boozy, foodie, sparklers and cookbooks.
Have you got a gem of a bottle or unique food item that my audience needs to know about? Please get in touch. I've got one or two open spots but only for treasured gift ideas. C ontact me soon – the window closes October 1.
During the holidays, my newsletter goes from monthly to weekly to capture the delights of the season more completely.
What I'm Reading & Watching
I've enjoyed watching Florence Pugh ever since she played Amy in Greta Gerwig's 2019 movie Little Women. In 2024's We Live in Time, Pugh plays a chef gunning to win the Bocuse d'Or. Of course, there are complications and plentiful hurdles in her way. Of less certainty, whether you will/will not need tissues at any point during the movie – it tugged my heartstrings HARD.
While overseas, I read Three Junesby Julia Glass. I first read and thoroughly enjoyed the 2002 National Book Award for Fiction when it first came out. This time around, in situ, I liked it just as much.
More about familial relationships rather than food, the book includes is a main character who is a chef and numerous scenes of food prep and family mayhem.
There’s a quietness to Glass’ writing that resonates, the thoughtfulness of each character clear despite their many human weaknesses. There’s a gracefulness that adds warmth to the storytelling. Reading this again 23 (?) years later is a reminder of that grace and warmth but now, Glass has written many other books which I can look forward to enjoying on my next sojourn.
About That First Image
Stefan and I stopped by Linden Hofkeller in Zurich for a much-needed date night this summer. (Yes, you should get the bread supplement.) It's a fun menu and you can choose as many courses as you like. The house made pretzel and fermented butter stole the show. You can see why.
Thanks for reading and be in touch.
Christina
Christina Mueller
Lifestyle journalist and marketing consultant. Creative storytelling at the top of the funnel for lifestyle and hospitality brands and businesses. How can I help your business tell its story? cmw@christinamueller.com
